Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 10

CLARIONLEDGER.COM 2BBTHE CLARION-LEDGER MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2008 MetroState STORY IDEAS Female leader named to Army Reserve post Questionable government spending. A stalled criminal investigation. A public agency whose way of doing business doesn't seem quite right. If you have something you want us to investigate, let us know. We can look into it.

Send an e-mail to: storyideasclarionledger.com BAY ST. LOUIS Katrina-slammed bridge fully open Officials have opened all four lanes of the Bay St. Louis bridge, a massive symbol of Hurricane Katrina recovery. Four lanes of traffic began crossing the bridge Friday after traffic striping was com By Lauchlin Fields VicksburgPost For Master Sgt. James Reynolds, with U.S.

Army Reserve's 412th Engineer Command, 1st Lt. Dawn Harrison is one of the best soldiers he's seen in his 23 years with the military. That's what made her the obvious choice for the 412th's company command, a position to which she was assigned earlier this month. Although she's the first woman in the command's history to take the post, being a woman had nothing to do with why she was chosen, Reynolds said. "She's an outstanding soldier.

It had nothing to do with gender and nothing to do with race. It has to do with soldiers," he said. mentally soldiers in the unit. The 412th has a history of deployments, with several missions to the Middle East. As the name implies, its mission is engineering support for combat missions as well as civilian reconstruction.

"I expect her to supervise and monitor all of the headquarters' functions and make sure the soldiers are trained," Reynolds said. Harrison said it is her first priority to care for the soldiers. "I'm basically responsible for their well-being," she said. "I have to make sure they're getting the training they need to be successful soldiers." Although a career in the military wasn't what Harrison envisioned, she has fully embraced it. "I was one of those people who VICKSBURG Still, the 27-year-old Vicksburg native said she welcomes the challenge to step in as the first woman to command the company.

"I've made history here at the 4 12th. I hope it gives other young females security and paves the way," Harrison said. For now, she is focusing on the duties she faces as a company commander. "I'm trying to wrap my arms around the responsibility. It's a huge responsibility.

I am responsible for hundreds if not thousands of soldiers and billions of dollars in equipment," she said. The position, which she will fill for about two years, requires her to train both physically and Enjoying the weather deal with juveniles. Drug courts seek to rehabilitate drug-using offenders through drug treatment and intense supervision with drug testing and frequent court appearances. Drug courts offer the incentive of a chance to remain out of jail and the sanction of a jail sentence if participants fail to remain drug-free and in compliance with all program requirements. Students head back to school Winter break ends today for most Jackson-area students.

Students return today to Jackson Public Schools, the Madison County School District, the Canton Public School District, the Hinds County School District, the Pearl School District and the Rankin County School District. Students in the Clinton Public School District return to classes Tuesday. OCEAN SPRINGS MDOT to conduct traffic study The Mississippi Department of Transportation will hire a consultant to conduct a traffic study in Ocean Springs. Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown said the study will look at the best way to promote smoother traffic flow in the Ocean Springs area. One task will be to recount traffic at ail of the signalized U.S.

90 intersections in Ocean Springs and along Mississippi 609 north. Traffic patterns have changed since the opening of the Biloxi Bay Bridge, according to the MDOT news release announcing the study. BILOXI Suicide ruled out in train death Authorities say a Biloxi man killed early Saturday by a train was lying unresponsive on the tracks when the freight train said, 'Military is not for But college is very expensive, so, in October 2001, 1 enlisted with the ROTC program at Mississippi State University. That's how my military career was started," she said. After being deployed in April 2006 to Baghdad, where she was a project engineer on a $45 million construction project, Harrison proved she was a leader, which, ultimately led to her appointment.

"She's the only one I would pick," Reynolds said. "I had worked with her before and, when she went to Iraq, I heard such good things about her leadership. She's straightforward and honest. That's what the company needed." BILOXI Optimism bountiful in oyster industry By Helen Rose Patterson The Sun Herald After taking a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina, the oyster industry is looking up in South Mississippi. Scott Gordon, the shellfish bureau director for the Department of Marine Resources, said he is optimistic.

And fishermen working out of the Pass Christian Harbor agree things are getting better. Most of the oystermen in the Pass Harbor have been in the business all their lives. Even though they are harvesting only 10 percent of what they were bringing in before Katrina, the oystermen feel good about the harvest. Darlene Kimball, owner of Kimball's Seafood, said she had been excited about the season from the beginning and that things are goingwell. Since the season opened in late September, 27,206 sacks of oysters have been harvested, according to DMR.

There have been 2,249 UMsIm trips taken out TheReC0V6FV to the reefs. Certain reefs are closed and the current limits of 20 sacks for dredgers and eight sacks for tongers are lower than usual, but DMR has extended the season as it sees fit, based on the reef conditions. DMR scientists responsible for managing the reefs and monitoring their health set the regulations. Before the storm, there were 10,000 to 12,000 acres of oyster reefs. Between 90 and 95 percent of these areas were destroyed.

Oystermen's boats also were damaged or destroyed. After Katrina, DMR enlisted oystermen who were out of work to help map the damage to the reefs. When the damage was assessed, the oystermen were hired to move 72,000 sacks of oysters from Biloxi Bay to other areas so that they could rebuild the reefs. "We've tried to help them through the storm by them helping us," said Gordon. The partnership allowed the oystermen a firsthand look at why DMR regulates oystering like it does.

Gordon said it's important to involve the oystermen. When he took over the program in 1997, there was little communication pleted. Workers are still putting the finishing touches on the bridge, but all that remains to be done is to install lighting, permanent signs and a pedestrian railing. Workers also will restore a channel dredged in the bay for construction, a news release from the Mississippi Department of Transportation said. The bridge was built with a $266.8 million design and build contract.

The original bridge was destroyed by Katrina in August 2005. Two lanes of the new bridge, which is 85 feet tall at its highest point, were opened in March. Ceremony Friday for federal judge A formal investiture for U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock is set for 2 p.m. Friday at Davis Event Center at Itawamba Community College in Fulton.

Aycock, a Tremont native, was circuit judge in Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties until her federal bench appointment by President Bush in 2007. The U.S. Senate confirmed her appointment in October. Aycock is Mississippi's first female U.S. district judge and will work out of Aberdeen.

Although she took the oath of office a few months ago, the ceremony formally confers the authority of the office. JACKSON Drug court sets graduation date The Hinds County Circuit Court drug court program will hold a graduation ceremony at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Hinds County Courthouse in Jackson. Hinds County Supervisors George Smith, Peggy Calhoun and Robert Graham are expected to be guest speakers. Hinds County Court Judge William Skinner, who oversees the felony drug court program, will preside over the ceremony.

Six drug court participants are expected to graduate, said drug court coordinator Brenda Mathis. Seventy-one will remain enrolled in the program. The Hinds County adult drug court, begun in 2000, is the second oldest drug court in the state. Twenty-three drug courts operate in Mississippi. Fifteen deal with adult offenders; eight 4HBH1h -jsaiBa approached.

Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove identified the victim as 33-year-old Matthew Felder. Felder was from Humble, Texas, but had been living nearby. Hargrove said he had ruled out suicide. CSX Railroad workers notified the Biloxi Police Department at 1:48 a.m. Saturday.

Hargrove said workers on the westbound train saw the body on the tracks and started whistles and bells and tried to stop. Hargrove said Felder died of blunt-force trauma and a toxicology test would be performed. To share tips and ideas, contact Metro Editor Grace Simmons Fisher at (601) 961-7250, fax to 961-7211 or e-mail Barbara Gauntt The Clarion-Ledger Parham Bridges Park in Jackson on Friday. "We're just glad to have some warmer weather so we can get out and play," said Birdsall. Sally Birdsall of Jackson gives her 2-year-old daughter, Maggie, a little help with balance at the Dr.

Hugh G. Ward Children's Playground at Iraq-bound brigade trains in Miss. 39th Infantry preps for second tour in Iraq The Associated Press Mike Wintroath The Associated Press Sgt Melinda Crossland (left) says goodbye to mother Reba Cummings before she and her unit leave Little Rock, Ark. to train in Mississippi. Members of the 39th Infantry Brigade moved out Saturday for a training stop in Mississippi that will be the final stage in getting ready for another deployment in Iraq.

At Ricks Armory in Little Rock, National Guard members reassured spouses, held babies and got their last hugs before boarding three charter buses for the seven-hour drive to Camp Shelby near Hat-tiesburg. Similar scenes played out at assembly points across the state and again Sunday as more than half of the 39th's 3,200 soldiers deployed. "This country said we need somebody to go to Iraq and accomplish this mission," Col. Kendall Penn told the 80-plus troops as they stood in formation before departing. "Bowie Team stood up and said we can get this done." Penn said the massive training center at Camp Shelby, which handles 100,000 troops per year, will replicate "exactly what the I TODAY Madison County School Board, 5 p.m., Madison Middle School, 1 365 Mannsdale Road Madison County Board of Supervisors, 9 a.m., law library in the Circuit Courthouse, Canton Hinds County Board of Supervisors, 9 a.m., Chancery Court building, 316 President St.

Rankin County Board of Supervisors 9 a.m., Government Complex, 200 W. Government Brandon TUESDAY Jackson Public Schools board, 5:30 p.m., school board meeting room, 621 S. State St. (The board will hold disciplinary hearings, which are closed to the public.) Canton School Board, 5:30 p.m., district office, 403 Lincoln St. Clinton School Board, 7 p.m., district office, 203 East-haven Drive, Clinton WEDNESDAY Rankin County School Board, 7:30 a.m., district office, 1220 Apple Park Place, Brandon THURSDAY Interim members of the Byram Board of Aldermen and interim Mayor Nick Tremonte, 7 p.m., Trinity Wesleyan Church, 6950 S.

Siwell Road Hinds County School Board, 5 p.m., 13192 Mississippi 18, Raymond FRIDAY Pearl River Valley Water Supply District board of directors, 9:30 a.m., district office on Madison Landing just off Rice Road (Shoreline committee meets on the Monday prior to the board meeting.) LITTLE ROCK, ARK. between DMR and the oystermen. Now, oystermen can see that DMR is trying to strike a balance between caring for the oystermen and oysters and public health concerns. Gordon believes, based on his research, that next year is going to be good. Most of tie oysters they dredge will meet the 3-inch size requirement next year.

Next, DMR will re-enlist oystermen to plant beds for new oysters. Clutch materials, such as concrete, limestone and oyster shells, will be added to reefs so young oysters have the clean space they need to grow. full-time National Guard soldier after going to Iraq. "That's not to say we weren't prepared last time. We were.

But that experience this time is going to make a difference." Howard was on hand with his wife and four children ranging in age from 5 months to 10 years. Many of the camouflage-clad soldiers said their goodbyes under a gray sky outside the armory as the minutes ticked by before the bus departures. soldiers will be doing in Iraq." More importantly, about half the 39th's members are veterans of the brigade's stint in Iraq that started in 2003. Staff Sgt. James Howard of Cabot, who served in the first deployment, said experience will make a difference.

"We're definitely more ready this time," said Howard, who was a police officer until he became a.